{"id":148516,"date":"2023-06-28T16:46:51","date_gmt":"2023-06-28T20:46:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/computer-english\/"},"modified":"2025-02-04T04:13:22","modified_gmt":"2025-02-04T09:13:22","slug":"computer-english","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/english\/computer-english\/","title":{"rendered":"50 Useful Computer Vocabulary Words"},"content":{"rendered":"

English computer words can seem a bit strange to language learners, especially if you\u00a0think<\/em> you recognize them… but have no idea what a \u201cbug\u201d is doing inside your laptop.\u00a0<\/p>\n

We will clear up all the confusion in this article.\u00a0We have collected a list of the 50 most important English computer terms to know\u2014whether you are looking for a job in technology\u00a0or just trying to modernize your language skills<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Hardware<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"hardware-computer-keyboard-printer\"<\/p>\nComputer<\/strong>\n

Technically, this only refers to a programmable machine. But native English speakers commonly use it to refer to the entire personal computer (PC) device, including a monitor, keyboard, mouse or laptop.<\/p>\nCPU<\/strong>\n

CPU stands for Central Processing Unit. It is the “brain” of a computer that executes instructions and performs calculations.<\/p>\nHard Drive<\/strong>\n

A storage device that permanently stores data, including the operating system, programs, and files.<\/p>\nHardware<\/strong>\n

The hardware are the physical components of a computer, such as the monitor, keyboard, and motherboard (the main circuit board in computers).<\/p>\nKeyboard<\/strong>\n

The physical board that allows you to type information into a computer.<\/p>\nLaptop<\/strong>\n

A computer device that is easily portable (can be taken from place to place).<\/p>\nMonitor<\/strong>\n

Another term for a physical computer screen.<\/p>\nMouse<\/strong>\n

The pointing device used to move the cursor (the position indicator on a computer display screen) and select objects on the computer screen.<\/p>\nPrinter<\/strong>\n

An output device that produces hard copies of documents and images from a computer. You have likely printed documents from a printer before, although it is becoming less common for people to have a printer in their homes.\u00a0<\/p>\nRouter<\/strong>\n

A device that allows other devices (such as computers, tablets and phones) to connect to the internet. If your internet connection is not strong enough, you may need to move closer to the router.\u00a0<\/p>\nScanner<\/strong>\n

An input device that captures and digitizes printed documents or images for computer use. You may have used a scanner if, for example, you needed to sign a document and then send it to someone by email.\u00a0<\/p>\nUSB<\/strong>\n

USB stands for Universal Serial Bus. It is a common interface used to connect devices to a computer, such as printers, keyboards, and external storage.<\/p>\n

A USB flash drive<\/strong>, often simply referred to as a “flash drive” or “USB drive,” is a small and portable storage device used for storing and transferring data. It is designed to connect to a computer or other compatible device through a USB port.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Internet and Programming<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"person-on-Google-searchpage-on-laptop\"<\/p>\nAlgorithm<\/strong>\n

An algorithm is a set of instructions. Computer programmers design algorithms to make websites, apps or programs perform certain tasks. Social media platforms also use algorithms to manage and personalize the content that users see on their feeds.<\/p>\nBrowser<\/strong>\n

Software application used to access and view websites on the internet. There are different kinds of browsers, such as Google Chrome, Safari and Firefox.<\/p>\nCloud<\/strong>\n

“Cloud-based storage” means that data is stored online. This saves storage space on a computer device. You may have heard someone tell you to save or upload something “to the Cloud.”<\/p>\nComputer programming<\/strong>\n

The process of designing, writing and testing sets of instructions (code) that tell a computer how to perform specific tasks or solve problems. This is often referred to as just “programming.”<\/p>\nCookies<\/strong>\n

“Cookies” refer to small text files that are created and stored on a user’s device when they visit a website. Cookies are used to collect and store certain information about the user’s browsing activity and preferences.<\/p>\nCSS<\/strong>\n

CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets. This information programs a website’s layout and design. For example, CSS programs a website’s font size and color.<\/p>\nDownload<\/strong>\n

This verb refers to retrieving and saving information from the internet onto your device. It can also be used as a noun to refer to information that can be downloaded. For example, you might see a phrase like “Click here to get your free download<\/strong>” on a website.<\/p>\n

The opposite of download is upload<\/strong>, which can also be used as a verb (loading something like an image or file onto the internet) or noun (something that has been loaded onto the internet).<\/p>\nEmail<\/strong>\n

Electronic mail sent and received through a computer network. You probably have an email account through a service such as Gmail or Outlook and an email address with an “at sign” (@) and a “dot com” (.com).\u00a0<\/p>\nEthernet<\/strong>\n

Wired networking technology that connects computers and devices through cables.<\/p>\nFirewall<\/strong>\n

A security measure that controls and filters network traffic to protect against unauthorized access and threats. It ensures that only desired and nondestructive content from the internet is allowed to go through.<\/p>\nHTML<\/strong>\n

HTML stands for Hypertext Markup Language, which provides the information that is displayed on a website. For example, this programs the words that display on a website’s homepage.<\/p>\nInternet<\/strong>\n

The online network that connects all web-based devices.<\/p>\nIP Address<\/strong>\n

The unique code that identifies a device on the internet.<\/p>\nJavaScript<\/strong>\n

A programming language used to add interactivity and dynamic features to web pages.<\/p>\nKeyword<\/strong>\n

Short phrases that describe an image, idea, webpage or piece of data. For example, the phrases and terms you type into a search engine are considered keywords.<\/p>\nSpam<\/strong>\n

Spam (yes, it was named after the canned meat product) refers to any unwelcome email you receive, usually from advertisers. Basically, this is the junk mail that you did not sign up for and do not want to read.<\/p>\nToolbar<\/strong>\n

The toolbar usually sits at the top of your web browser with icons that help you control what you see. Typically, you can find icons that help you move forward, backward or refresh a webpage. You can also type a web address here.<\/p>\nURL<\/strong>\n

This is the address that brings you to a specific website on the internet. Typically, it starts with www. and ends with .com (or .edu or .gov).<\/p>\nVPN<\/strong>\n

VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. It is a secure connection that encrypts data transmitted over a public network, providing privacy and anonymity.\u00a0<\/p>\nWebsite<\/strong>\n

This is a collection of individual webpages. When you input a URL, you are brought to a website. FluentU<\/a> is an example of a website. (Its URL is www.fluentu.com.) The program is also an app, and no matter how you access it, it’s a powerful way to study the English language (like the vocabulary in this post) in an immersive and natural way.

FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n

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You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app<\/a> or Android app.<\/a><\/p>\r\n

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a><\/i>\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n \"FluentU\r\n

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